End of preview

This is an unformatted preview. Sign up to view the full document

End of preview

Science is not about building a body of known facts It is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good reveals the English author Terry Pratchett Two articles explore whether or not intelligence is linked to the X chromosome in a persons genetic makeup Perhaps this research will end the never ending battle of the sexes regarding which sex is smarter X Rated summary Recent research regarding the X chromosome sequence may help to define the biological differences between men and women Sexual differences in intelligence were once thought to arise primarily from hormones and the environment Studies have not found intelligence to be attributed to a single gene but new discoveries may show that genes on the X chromosome may play a direct role David Page interim director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge Massachusetts admits that attempts to link enrichment of cognitive genes on the X chromosome to IQ differences are reasonable speculation Women receive two X chromosomes one from each parent However men obtain a Y chromosome from the father and only one X chromosome from the mother The Y chromosome bares genes that serve to invoke sperm production and other factors regarding male sexual reproduction The X chromosome sports one thousand ninety-eight protein-carrying genes Only fifty-four of the genes have functional counterparts found on the Y chromosome When a gene on the X chromosome mutates in a woman the woman has another x chromosome to balance out the irregularity Unfortunately men do not possess an extra X chromosome to fix any errors that may arise from X chromosome mutations The fact that males only have one X chromosome and few Y counterparts to match the X genes leaves men vulnerable to approximately three hundred genetic disorders and diseases These abnormalities range from colorblindness to around two hundred brain disorders as the brain

@Kibin is a lifesaver for my essay right now!!

- Sandra Slivka, student @ UC Berkeley

Wow, this is the best essay help I've ever received!

- Camvu Pham, student @ U of M

If I'd known about @Kibin in college, I would have gotten much more sleep